I'm not a big fan of the Beaver tail, but that is one sweet looking weapon.

If you've owned a Regular P226 how much difference does the beaver tail make to you?

+1 on "one sweet looking weapon".

I own several SIGs, one of which is a P229 Elite in .40 S&W. In slow fire, I see no advantage to the beavertail over a "normal" P-series (maybe someone with large hands would experience less hammer bite, but I don't have that affliction so I don't know for sure). However, in rapid fire, the beavertail comes into its own. It gives me much faster shot-to-shot recoil recovery because the muzzle rise is reduced by the greater size of the beavertail coming into contact with the web of my shooting hand. IMO, the beavertail allows the user to take much better advantage of the reduced trigger reset that also comes with the Elite.

To put it another way: I've been shooting for 30+ years, much of it competitive. I've owned over 100 firearms over that time period. The P229 Elite is the finest firearm I've ever owned or shot. 'Nuff said.